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World-first trial to assess ‘life-extending’ cannabis-based drug for thousands with aggressive brain tumours

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Clinical trials, Experimental medicine.

BHP founder member the University of Birmingham will co-ordinate a major UK trial to analyse the efficacy of cannabis-based drug Sativex in treating the most aggressive form of brain tumours.

The new phase II trial, to be funded by The Brain Tumour Charity, is to launch at 15 NHS hospitals and follows promising results from a phase I study in 27 patients. The phase II trial will assess whether adding Sativex (an oral spray containing cannabinoids THC and CBD) to chemotherapy could extend life for thousands diagnosed with a recurrent glioblastoma, which currently has an average survival of less than 10 months*.

In a phase I trial in glioblastomas earlier this year**, the drug — already used in treating multiple sclerosis — was found to be tolerable in combination with chemotherapy, with the potential to extend survival.

While the phase I study observed that more patients were alive after one year in the Sativex arm compared to the placebo arm, the study was not sufficiently powered to show survival impact.

The new three-year phase II trial (called ARISTOCRAT), led by Professor Susan Short at the University of Leeds and co-ordinated by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham, is due to begin recruiting over 230 patients across all UK nations in early 2022, subject to sufficient funds being raised.

Having seen its income drop by over 25% last year due to the pandemic and been forced to pause its regular research grant funding programme, The Brain Tumour Charity has today launched an appeal to raise the £450,000 needed to open the trial as soon as possible.

Experts hope that, should the trial prove successful, Sativex could represent one of the first additions to NHS treatment for glioblastoma patients since temozolomide chemotherapy in 2007.

Glioblastomas are the most common and most aggressive form of brain cancer, with around 2,200 people diagnosed each year in England alone***. They are usually fast-growing and diffuse, with poorly-defined boundaries and thread-like tendrils that extend into other parts of the brain.

Almost all glioblastomas recur even after intensive treatment including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and average survival is just 12-18 months from first diagnosis****.

Over the last decade, there has been significant global interest within both patient and scientific communities about the activity of cannabinoids in brain tumours, with the view that cannabinoid-based products may not only help relieve symptoms but could also have a positive impact on survival.

Several pre-clinical laboratory studies***** have suggested that cannabinoids THC and CBD may reduce brain tumour cell growth and could disrupt the blood supply to tumours – however, to date, clinical evidence that they could treat brain tumours has been limited.

In this new phase II trial, researchers will assess whether adding Sativex to the current standard chemotherapy treatment (temozolomide) could offer extra time to live for adults diagnosed with a recurrence of their glioblastoma after initial treatment.

The trial plans to recruit 232 participants across a minimum of 15 hospitals******: two thirds of the participants will be given temozolomide plus Sativex, while one third will be given temozolomide plus placebo*******.

Sativex, manufactured by GW Pharma, is an oromucosal spray containing 1:1 THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), with the active ingredients being absorbed in the lining of the mouth, either under the tongue or inside the cheek.

Participants will be asked to administer up to 12 sprays per day (or to the maximum dose they can tolerate if fewer than 12) of Sativex or placebo oral sprays. Participants will then undergo regular follow-up including clinical assessment (every four weeks), blood tests, MRI scans (every eight weeks), and they will complete quality of life questionnaires. This will also be one of the first trials to integrate with The Brain Tumour Charity’s app BRIAN.

The trial will measure whether adding Sativex to chemotherapy extends the overall length of patients’ lives (overall survival), delays the progression of their disease (progression-free survival) or improves quality of life.

Professor Pam Kearns, Director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) at the University of Birmingham, which is co-ordinating the trial, said: “Our mission at the CRCTU is to translate cutting-edge science and research into improved patient care by identifying novel therapies that will save lives. It is vital that trials like this, investigating the role cannabis or the chemicals in it can play treat cancer, are carried out.”

Principal Investigator, Professor Susan Short, Professor of Clinical Oncology and Neuro-Oncology at the University of Leeds, said: “The treatment of glioblastomas remains extremely challenging. Even with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, nearly all of these brain tumours re-grow within a year, and unfortunately there are very few options for patients once this occurs.

“Cannabinoids have well-described effects in the brain and there has been a lot of interest in their use across different cancers for a long time now. Glioblastoma brain tumours have been shown to have receptors to cannabinoids on their cell surfaces, and laboratory studies on glioblastoma cells have shown these drugs may slow tumour growth and work particularly well when used with temozolomide.

“It’s really exciting that we’re now at the point where we can run a definitive, well-designed study that will tell us the answer to whether these agents could help treat the most aggressive form of brain tumour. Having recently shown that a specific cannabinoid combination given by oral spray could be safely added to temozolomide chemotherapy, we’re really excited to build on these findings to assess whether this drug could help glioblastoma patients live longer in a major randomised trial.”

Dr David Jenkinson, Interim CEO at The Brain Tumour Charity, which is funding the trial, said: “We hope this trial could pave the way for a long-awaited new lifeline that could help offer glioblastoma patients precious extra months to live and make memories with their loved ones.

“With so few treatments available and average survival still so heartbreakingly short, thousands affected by a glioblastoma in the UK each year are in urgent need of new options and new hope.

“We know there is significant interest among our community about the potential activity of cannabinoids in treating glioblastomas, and we’re really excited that this world-first trial here in the UK could help accelerate these answers. The recent early-stage findings were really promising and we now look forward to understanding whether adding Sativex to chemotherapy could help offer life-extension and improved quality of life, which would be a major step forward in our ability to treat this devastating disease.

“But we also know that for many, this trial won’t come soon enough. In the meantime, while other cannabis-based products may help alleviate symptoms, there is insufficient evidence to recommend their use to help treat brain tumours. For anyone considering using cannabis-based products or other complementary therapies, it’s vital that you discuss these with your medical team first, as they could interact with other treatments such as anti-epileptic medicines or steroids.”

Stephen Lee, 62 from Leyland in Lancashire, took part in the phase I trial of Sativex in 2015 after his glioblastoma returned following initial treatment. Stephen was first diagnosed in 2010, just a few months after he had very sadly lost his older brother to the same disease. Stephen said: “My diagnosis was very sudden and was one of those days you never forget. Having had to leave work early with a severe headache and a stabbing pain in my right eye, my wife insisted that we go straight to hospital after what my brother had experienced.

“I was admitted that same day, had a scan and that’s when they identified it was a brain tumour. I had the operation the following week, and beforehand my wife and I agreed that we wanted to stay positive, to keep living our lives and to enjoy however much time we had together.

“I joined the early trial of Sativex in the hope that it could improve my quality of life, but I also thought it was important to do so as the chemotherapy and radiotherapy I was having had all been trialled by other people before it could be used safely. I thought it only right and proper that I followed in their footsteps and joined a trial to help prove a new drug which could benefit so many people in the future with a recurring glioblastoma.

“I took the oral spray 10 times a day, and it was easy as I could take it wherever we were going, even while out for dinner. While I don’t know whether I had Sativex or the placebo, since the trial finished in 2016, all my MRI scans have been clear.

“This new trial is so important as it will give people hope that there could be life beyond a glioblastoma diagnosis and that there are other treatments being trialled to support them to live their lives.”
Anyone affected by a glioblastoma can speak to The Brain Tumour Charity on 0808 800 0004.

References:

*Twelves et al. A phase 1b randomised, placebo-controlled trial of nabiximols cannabinoid oromucosal spray with temozolomide in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Br J Cancer 124, 1379–1387 (2021).

**The initial phase 1b trial, led by the same authors, was published in the British Journal of Cancer in February 2021. The study assessed the safety and potential effectiveness of adding Sativex to temozolomide for patients with a newly recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) – finding it could be tolerated, did not appear to interfere with temozolomide treatment and had the potential to improve survival. In the first part of the study, 6 patients received a personalised regime of Sativex of up to 12 sprays per day, alongside their temozolomide therapy – and the side-effects were recorded and reviewed. In the second part of the study, 21 patients were randomised to receive either Sativex with temozolomide (12 patients) or placebo with temozolomide (9 patients) for a total duration of 12 months. 10 out of 12 (83.3%) patients receiving Sativex were still alive after one year, compared to 4 out of 9 (44.4%) patients in the placebo arm.

***Greenberg et al. Incidence and outcomes for cerebral glioblastoma in England, Public Health England; Brodbelt, A., Greenberg, D., Winters, T., Williams, M., Vernon, S. and Collins, V.P. Glioblastoma in England: 2007–2011. Eur. J. Cancer 2015, 51, 533–542.

****The prior figure (‘less than 10 months’) is the average survival from the point of tumour recurrence following initial treatment, whereas the ‘12-18 months’ figure is the average survival from first diagnosis.

****Rocha et al. Systematic review of the literature on clinical and experimental trials on the antitumor effects of cannabinoids in gliomas. J Neurooncol, 2014. 116(1): p. 11-24; Dumitru, C.A., I.E. Sandalcioglu, and M. Karsak, Cannabinoids in Glioblastoma Therapy: New Applications for Old Drugs. Front Mol Neurosci, 2018. 11: p. 159; Torres, S., et al., A combined preclinical therapy of cannabinoids and temozolomide against glioma. Mol Cancer Ther, 2011. 10(1): p. 90-103.

******The recruiting centres include: Leeds General Infirmary; Guy’s and St Thomas’, London; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham; Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge; Western General Hospital, Edinburgh; The Beatson, Glasgow; The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Liverpool; The Christie, Manchester; Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham; John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford; Southampton General Hospital; Southmead Hospital, Bristol; Charing Cross Hospital, London; Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

*******Both Sativex and the placebo are being provided free-of-charge for the duration of the trial by GW Pharma.

Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network comes to Birmingham

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Experimental medicine.

The University of Birmingham has been confirmed as the third National Training Centre in the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN) initiative.

The initiative is designed to develop and deliver specific practical skills to address the growing need in the UK for skills in vaccine and advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) manufacturing.

As one of the three initial National Training Centres, BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham will deliver advanced technology courses on-site in collaboration with local companies and institutions to provide training complementary to the ATSTN initiative. These include modules on ATMP manufacturing design and clinical adoption, as well as documentation and implementation of ATMPs, which will be delivered as a combination of on-site, online learning and virtual reality modules.

The first courses will be launched in September 2021 and will cover the fundamental aspects of ATMPs and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The University of Birmingham will also offer master’s degree level modules on GMP standards, which are a vital requirement for the authorisation, manufacture, and commercialisation of ATMPs.

Professor Phil Newsome, Director of Research in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, commented: “We are delighted to provide our leading expertise, playing such a pivotal role in delivering these much-needed skills for the UK’s advanced therapies sector. This collaboration between industry and academia will create a truly world-class offering, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of the manufacture and delivery of vaccines and advanced therapies. Moreover, it will further strengthen and leverage the rapidly-growing health and life science sector in Birmingham and the Midlands.”

The National Training Centres are a part of the ATSTN initiative, which also includes an online training platform to provide remote learning for those currently working in the vaccine manufacturing and advanced therapy industry, and a ‘career converter’, which maps an individual’s transferrable skills from adjacent sectors into recommended roles for this industry.

The ATSTN, driven by industry and coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), was launched in December 2020 with £4.7m in funding awarded from BEIS. The initiative was designed in collaboration with industry to create opportunities to upskill, through digital and practical on-site courses, current professionals and leverage skills from individuals coming from other sectors.

Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive Officer, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, commented: “The UK ATMP industry is expanding rapidly, and to support that tremendous growth the industry needs skilled people. The UK is making one of the biggest commitments anywhere in the world to training in this sector, keeping it as the “go to” place for the cell and gene therapy industry. As part of the ATSTN programme, the University of Birmingham is well placed to develop and deliver high-impact training courses utilising its world leading delivery technologies”.

Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), ATSTN’s national training centres includes RoslinCT with its academic partners and the National Horizons Centre.

DNA strands

Young patients with cancer to benefit from £1million investment in genomic testing

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Early diagnosis and detection, Experimental medicine.

Children and young people living with cancer from across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England will now benefit from improved genetic testing, thanks to a seven-figure donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity from Children with Cancer UK, in partnership with Kwik-Fit.

Home to one of the largest children’s cancer centres in the UK, BHP member Birmingham Children’s Hospital cares for over 200 patients with cancer, leukaemia and brain tumours every year, from the West Midlands and beyond.

Genomic testing for patients diagnosed with cancer is incredibly important and over the last decade, large scale sequencing projects have identified pertinent DNA changes, which have enabled scientists to develop new and improved cancer drugs and treatments to specifically target these variations.

Sequencing all possible DNA changes in a single test gives scientists the best possible chance of detecting the genetic changes driving a child’s cancer; and knowing the genetic makeup of a child or young person’s cancer, or tumour, allows clinicians to offer a more tailored treatment.

Targeted therapies have improved the number and different types of treatment offered to children and young people, aimed at saving more lives and improving the quality of life for patients living with cancer.

The UK’s largest genetics laboratory, the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, based at BHP member Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, provides cancer genetic services for patients across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England, covering a population of 12million.

The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.
The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.

Now a donation of just over £1million to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity has allowed the laboratory to purchase a high-throughput next generation sequencing platform.  This investment is possible thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of Kwik-Fit’s staff, customers and suppliers who raised the substantial sum after Kwik-Fit employees chose Children with Cancer UK as the company’s national charity partner.

The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.

Initial forecasts provided by NHS England and NHS Trusts across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England suggest that approximately 560 children and young people per year could benefit from large cancer panel genetic testing following the installation of the NovaSeq.

The significant gift also allowed for the refurbishment of the laboratory in which the NovaSeq will sit.

The Chairman of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and its Charity, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, former Medical Director of the NHS in England, said: “The NovaSeq 6000 has dramatically enhanced our ability to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for childhood and young people’s cancers, thereby enabling our expert scientists and doctors to quickly optimise and develop more effective and less toxic treatments for children and young people with cancer.

“We’re incredibly thankful to Children with Cancer UK and all the employees at Kwik-Fit for enabling us to expand our cancer genetic testing capability in this way. It really will make a difference to thousands of families living with a cancer diagnosis.”

Children with Cancer UK, the charity dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer, is a long-term supporter of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and is making its second £1million donation to the hospital’s charity. The first helped ensure the opening of a brand new Children’s Cancer Centre in 2018.

Children with Cancer UK Trustee, Nick Goulden, said: “We are delighted the new NovaSeq 6000 has been installed at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, ready to serve its young cancer patients across the region. By offering personalised treatments through genetic sequencing, it’s another step towards our ultimate goal of saving the life of every child and young person diagnosed with cancer.

“We are also incredibly grateful for our year-long partnership with Kwik-Fit who shared this vision with us. Through their innovative and dedicated fundraising, Kwik-Fit employees raised £1million to make all of this possible and the legacy of our relationship will benefit the lives of thousands of children and young people in the future.“

Kwik-Fit’s partnership with Children with Cancer UK, which took place before the pandemic, saw its staff participate in events such as the Virgin Money London Marathon and the Simplyhealth Great North Run. It also organised various fundraising activities including bake sales, static bike challenges, car washes and sponsored walks. In addition, staff swapped cars for cycles as part of the company’s first-ever ‘Tour De Branch’ – a nationwide bike ride in which over 80 employees covered 2,500 miles between 120 Kwik-Fit centres.

Mark Slade, managing director of Kwik-Fit, said: “We were delighted to hit our fundraising target of £1million which has enabled Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity to invest in such an important piece of equipment.

“I would like to congratulate and thank all of the Kwik-Fit staff for their tremendous effort and dedication and all our customers and partners who supported us – we would not have been able to achieve this target without them. We hope that this vital testing equipment will make a massive difference to the outcome for many families in the future.”

Scientist wearing PPE pipettes chemical solutions into test tubes

University of Birmingham joins drug discovery collaboration with Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Clinical trials, Experimental medicine.

BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham is part of a new industry collaboration launched to accelerate drug discovery projects by fast-tracking research from lab to patient.

Birmingham is one of four universities selected by drug development company Evotec SE and global pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb to be part of the newly formed beLAB1407.

Evotec, together with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) launched beLAB1407, a new $20m academic BRIDGE to identify and advance novel and breakthrough drug discovery opportunities across therapeutic areas from the UK’s top-tier academic institutions. Through a unique combination of Evotec’s drug discovery and development platforms and early-stage therapeutic concepts from the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dundee, beLAB1407 offers a unique route to the advancement of first-in-class therapeutics and the creation of spinout companies.

Evotec’s BRIDGE (Biomedical Research, Innovation & Development Generation Efficiency) collaborations provide an integrated fund and award framework to validate exciting academic projects in collaborations with Pharma and biotech with the goal to form new companies. Since implementing the first academic BRIDGE ‘LAB282’ in Oxford in November 2016, Evotec has continued to evolve similar collaborations with a variety of academic, Pharma and venture capital partners across Europe and North America.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham’s Colleges of Life & Environmental Sciences, Engineering & Physical Sciences and Medical & Dental Sciences work across all areas of drug discovery from target identification to clinical trials, and will have the opportunity to apply for funding from this project.

David Coleman, Director of Enterprise & Innovation, University of Birmingham Enterprise, commented: “Over the last few years, the University of Birmingham has identified a significant pipeline of early stage life science discoveries. The support and investment provided by Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb through beLAB1407 provides a great opportunity to validate and develop some of these into important therapies for the future, and we’re very excited to be working with them.”

Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, said: “We are thrilled to launch beLAB1407 together with our partners at Bristol Myers Squibb with whom we’ve worked on a variety of projects over a period of many years. beLAB1407 provides researchers from the member institutions with a unique way to fast-track their projects, to validate them on our industrial-grade platform and have partnering options including company formations readily available to them.”

Dr Rupert Vessey, Executive Vice President and President, Research and Early Development at Bristol Myers Squibb commented: “This collaboration builds on our important connection to leading European universities. With beLAB1407, we are supporting UK-based universities that are exploring many interesting lines of scientific research and discovery. That research combined with Evotec’s proprietary data platforms has the potential to identify new and novel therapies for areas of unmet medical need.”

The name beLAB1407 alludes to the distance between Land’s End in the far southwest of Great Britain to its north-easternmost point near the village of John O’Groats in Scotland, which – if travelled by bike – adds up to 1,407 kilometres. To learn more about beLAB1407, visit www.belab1407.org.

New gene therapy innovation centre to turn scientific discoveries into life-changing treatments

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Experimental medicine.

BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham is set to play a key role in a pioneering new gene therapy innovation centre which will advance scientific discoveries into promising treatment options for millions of patients with life-threatening diseases.

The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC) will be led by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult, Centre of Process Innovation, University of Liverpool, and BHP’s Midlands-Wales Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre.

It is one of three pioneering hubs announced today in a new £18 million network funded by LifeArc and the Medical Research Council (MRC), with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Gene therapy is a promising treatment option for more than 7,000 rare diseases that currently have no cure. It aims to treat these conditions, by engineering another gene to replace, silence or manipulate the faulty one.

The UK has a world-class genetics research base – however, to date, academics have found it difficult to get access to the clinical materials, facilities and expertise required to progress gene therapy research into clinical trials.

Professor Mimoun Azzouz, Director of the GTIMC and Chair of Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield, said: “The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre will tackle major challenges in gene therapy development for some of the most devastating diseases.

“Gene therapies are pioneering medical advances that have the potential to offer much needed, novel, effective treatments for many rare and incurable diseases that cannot be treated by conventional drug compounds.

“Sheffield has emerged as one of the leading players in the cell and gene therapy and this national network of partners, facilities and training programmes will allow us to keep pace with translational discoveries for new and potentially life changing treatments. This is a momentous milestone for revolutionary medical advances.”

Professor Dame Pam Shaw, Director of the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and co-applicant on the GTIMC application said: “This exciting development and partnership will speed up the pull through of new gene therapies into early phase clinical trials and offer hope to patients with neurological and other rare diseases that can be addressed in this way.

“The support given to this initiative will greatly accelerate the translational potential of genetic therapies in the UK and bring benefits in key areas of unmet medical need.”

Professor Philip Newsome, Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Birmingham’s College of Medical and Dental Sciences, said: “We are delighted to be part of this pioneering new gene therapy innovation centre, providing our leading expertise to play a pivotal role in its potentially life-changing work.

“By smoothing the transition between small-scale supply for early clinical trials through to larger-scale manufacture for patient trials, and beyond, the centre will be able to advance scientific discoveries into promising treatment options for millions of patients with life-threatening diseases.”

The state-of-the-art centre will bring together academic institutions, NHS trusts, non-profit and industry partners across the north of England, Midlands and Wales enabling academic-led clinical trials of novel gene therapies.

The GTIMC will deliver essential translational and regulatory support alongside extensive training and skills programmes to enable upskilling and address shortage of skills in Good Manufacturing Practice manufacturing.

The facility will utilise highly efficient processes to manufacture clinical grade adeno-associated viruses and provide all the necessary quality assurance, regulatory certification and governance for human trials at Advanced Therapies Treatment Centres and NHS trusts within the GTIMC and the national network.

The three national hubs, located at the University of Sheffield, Kings College London, and NHS Blood and Transplant in Bristol will operate as a coordinated network, sharing technical skills and resources to enable innovative gene therapy research.

Dr Melanie Lee, CEO of LifeArc, said: “Recent innovations in gene therapies hold enormous potential for treating conditions such as rare diseases, but often promising ideas – particularly in academia – are not making it through to patients. Through our collaboration, we aim to meet the need for researchers to have access to the essential facilities and translational advice to progress promising research.”

The GTIMC will manufacture commonly used vectors including both lentivirus and adeno-associated virus that are needed for genetic therapy trials, while positioning the UK for significant bioprocessing innovation work with the potential to radically increase yields and reduce productivity barriers in future years. The hub network will also design and share commercially ready platforms, using common cell-lines, plasmids and reagents to reduce costs, facilitate simplified licensing agreements and streamline regulatory reviews.

Professor Fiona Watt, MRC’s Executive Chair, said: “The new network of Innovation Hubs for gene therapies will build on the UK’s great strengths in this area, providing targeted investment in vital infrastructure to accelerate academic research programmes down the path to patient benefit, supporting the delivery of a new wave of genetic medicines.”

Birmingham’s brain tumour centre awarded Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Clinical trials, Experimental medicine.

The brain tumour centre at BHP founder-member University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) has been recognised as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence following rigorous expert-led assessments by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

With more than 12,000 people diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour in the UK[i], and 300 new patients seeking treatment at UHB, the award has been introduced to recognise hospitals for their excellence in patient care. It represents a step change in the neuro-oncology landscape across the UK.

UHB was measured on a range of criteria, including its excellent clinical practice and training opportunities; emphasis on patient quality of life; providing clinical trials and offering a high standard of research opportunities. Led by a committee of experts in the field and virtual site visits, the assessments were backed up by patient feedback about the care they received.

At least 88,000 British people are currently living with a brain tumour but over 5,000 people a year will lose their lives to it[ii]. The “Excellence” status provides reassurance about the availability of excellent care within the NHS and positive recognition for its staff at UHB who, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, continue to go above and beyond for their patients. Due to the strain Covid-19 has placed on the NHS, UHB’s brain tumour centre now offers virtual clinics for patients.

Founded to design a new national strategy for brain tumours, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission is committed to helping as many hospitals as possible achieve the “Excellence” status in the future. To achieve this, the mission is launching the Tessa Jowell Academy, a national platform allowing hospitals to share best-practice to improve their services, as well as one-year fellowships for doctors to further specialise in brain tumours.

Jess Mills, Co-Founder of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission and Tessa’s daughter, said: “Mum’s mission throughout 50 years of her political life was to tackle systemic inequality. So, it was tragic whilst fitting, that her final campaign was a call to arms to create universal equality in access to excellence in cancer care throughout the NHS. It is with immeasurable pride that just 3 years later, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has begun the real-world translation of that vision into reality. 

“We are thrilled to have awarded University Hospitals Birmingham for its excellent ongoing work for patients and commitment to support other centres in reaching the same level of Excellence. Shockingly, the UK still has one of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe, but in time, the Tessa Jowell Centres will make the UK a global leader in the treatment and care of brain tumour patients. We have a long way to go until the cutting edge of science is delivered to every patient, but this is a huge and transformational first step.”

Colin Watts, Professor of Neurosurgery at BHP founder member the University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at UHB, said: “We are delighted that our model of patient-centred, consultant-led, research-orientated care for brain cancer patients has been recognised in this way. This award is a tribute to the whole multidisciplinary team who put patients at the centre of everything they do and take real pride in delivering best practice for everyone.

“It is a privilege to be to be  given this status from TJBCM partner organisations and we are very proud to affiliate ourselves with this recognition. We have worked hard as a team over the years to develop and improve patient care and will always strive to make a difference wherever possible. We will continue this process collaboratively by sharing and developing best practice within our service, externally and between other service providers for this cohort of patients.”

Cally Palmer, NHS England National Cancer Director, said: “This award is a fitting tribute to Tessa Jowell and her dedication to excellence in cancer care, as well as to all the NHS staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to continue to provide life-saving cancer services, and it is great to see NHS hospitals across the country being recognised as centres of excellence. NHS services are open and ready to help those who need cancer care, and I encourage anyone who is experiencing any worrying symptoms to contact their GP immediately to improve chances of a successful recovery.”

Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence:

      1. University Hospitals Birmingham
      2. Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-oncology
      3. King’s Health Partners of King’s College Hospital & Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals in London
      4. Leeds teaching hospitals NHS Trust (Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital)
      5. Salford Royal Foundation Trust and The Christie (Manchester)
      6. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
      7. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust
      8. St George’s University Hospital, Royal Marsden Hospital and Royal Surrey County Hospital
      9. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Over £700M is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 2% of that is dedicated to brain tumours[iii]. The Mission will be supported by the All-Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours chaired by Derek Thomas MP, to secure further support for NHS centres to enable more of them to achieve the “Excellence” status in the future. To kick-start additional monetary support, the Tessa Jowell Foundation, the charity set-up by Tessa’s family to lead the delivery of her legacy, has announced a fundraising appeal to raise £4M to enable the centres to excel after the network is launched.

[i] Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours (Data: 2015-2017, UK)

[ii] Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours#heading-Zero (Data: 2015–2017, UK). Accessed October 2020.

[iii] National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database Data Package 2019